We’ll likely spend some of today reacting to the Oscar nominations, which were announced this morning. But before we get to complaining and picking apart the Academy choices that snubbed certain films, let’s celebrate a couple of movies that just got a big bump from the Oscar nods.

In the Best Animated Film category two of the nominated films are ones that are probably unfamiliar to a lot of people. A Cat in Paris, by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, and Chico & Rita, by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando were both nominated. But before you get too up in arms that these movies helped snub Pixar and/or Tintin, take a look at the trailers for the two films below. Chico & Rita, for example, is simply gorgeous. Read More »

In 2010, only 15 films were eligible for the Best Animated Film Oscar. Under the current rules, at least 16 films have to be eligible to have more than three nominees and this year that’s looking likely. Eighteen films have been deemed eligible to be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 84rd Annual Academy Awards and it’s a very crowded field. Pixar usually is a sure thing but as their film, Cars 2, underperformed – at least in Pixar terms – that leaves the door open for movies like The Smurfs, Rango, Puss in Boots and Mars Needs Moms. Well, maybe not that last one, but it’s eligible.

After the jump see the full list of eligible animated films and predict which five will get the nomination come January 24, 2012. Read More »